Special Services for U3A Groups

Existing U3A Clients

If Webhive is already hosting your U3A group’s website, you have:

  • Annual hosting with Webhive. Your hosting is almost certainly managed WordPress hosting (see next section for explanation).
  • User account(s) for your website editors. Each user should have their own user account. Your web editor can create new accounts. Alternatively, email Webhive at support @webhive.com.au to request a new account. We’ll need to know your name, U3A group, email address and phone number (so that we can text your password to you if necessary).
  • A client account for Webhive’s portal (https://portal.webhive.com.au). Here, you can view services, order new services, pay invoices and view the service log. If your U3A is already a Webhive client, please don’t create a new client account. Your existing account holders can give you access to the account. Alternatively, email Webhive at support @webhive.com.au to gain access to your U3A’s client account.

You may also have:

  • An annual service agreement with Webhive, which allows us to give you individualised support and troubleshoot any problems that you’re having with your website. (See Support section for options.)
  • @u3anet.org.au Gmail addresses for your committee. These are administered by Webhive. When your committee changes, Webhive can reset the accounts for you. You’ll keep the previous emails but the previous committee member will no longer have access to the account.

Hosting

Webhive offers managed WordPress hosting at heavily discounted rates for U3A Groups. To explain:

  • Hosting services provide your website with space on a server, connected to the internet.
  • WordPress is a management content system that makes it easy to edit your website. At the time of writing, around 43% of the world’s websites run on WordPress.

Managed WordPress hosting takes away the stress of managing a WordPress website. We take care of software updates, remote backups and security for you. Your website is protected by the Wordfence premium WordPress firewall, which blocks hackers. All you need to do is edit your website content!

Webhive fixes problems that affect all U3A websites as part of your hosting fee. If you require individual service, you will need to take out an annual service agreement or pay Webhive’s hourly rate. (See next section.)

Website Support

Webhive offers website support at discounted rates to U3As. You may choose between an hourly rate and an annual service agreement. Service agreements cover advice, training, website editing, web forms, website layout and troubleshooting. (Problems that affect the entire multisite are covered as part of your hosting fee.)

U3A Peace of Mind Agreement

  • 1 hour of service per year.
  • Choose this service agreement if you edit your website yourself but want the security of knowing you'll have help if necessary

U3A Help at Hand Agreement (recommended)

  • 2 hours of service per year
  • For upgrading your website, applying security fixes, occasional support, and content editing

One hour of service for U3As

  • One hour of prepaid service time
  • Doesn't expire until we do!

$79

Service is charged in multiples of 12 minutes. Please note that time is our product. If we don’t charge for the time that we spend with you, we don’t pay our bills!

How to Edit Your WordPress Website

Please see https://webhive.com.au/wordpress-help/ for instructions on logging in, resetting your password and other common tasks. This post provides you with some links to WordPress tutorials – https://webhive.com.au/wordpress-tutorials/.

Google Workspace Email Accounts

It’s common for committee members to lose access to Gmail accounts that have been set up for position holders after elections. This means that the new committee member has no access to previous emails.

Your U3A now has access to email accounts with addresses such as [email protected]. These email accounts run on Google Workspace (Gmail), which has excellent spam filters and a very large storage capacity. Webhive administrates these accounts and can retrieve them for you, should you lose access. This is particularly important if you use Google Forms to collect registrations. In this case, losing the account means that you lose your historical record of registrations.

Account creation – $10 per account

Resetting the account when committee member changes – $15 per account (Resetting an account is a complex process that involves password change; updating two-factor security phone numbers and emails; deleting cookies; removing connected apps; disabling POP and IMAP; removing filters; resetting email signatures; and notifying the new user)

You can add your Gmail account to Microsoft Outlook. However, you must be running an up-to-date version of Outlook. For support with Microsoft Outlook you will need an annual service agreement or you can pay Webhive’s hourly rate. (See Support section above.)

Please note that only one person should log into each Gmail account. If you want more than one person to see the emails, we can set up forwarders to another account or a Google Group. When forwarded to a Google Group, all members of the group receive the emails.

Membership Systems

Webhive recommends Mike Hanlon’s u3admin.org.au. Mike has a professional background in writing club software. U3Admin is free software for U3As.